Cleaning your dentures every day is important for good oral hygiene. If you don’t, plaque and bacteria can form on them leading to oral health problems. We recommend cleaning dentures thoroughly twice a day and after eating when necessary. At The The Grove Dental Care, we recommend the following procedures are followed:
The general rule to cleaning your dentures is: brush, soak, brush. Your dentures are breakable, so always clean your dentures over a bowl of water or a folded towel in case you drop them. Brush your dentures thoroughly before soaking, to remove loose food particles. Use cool or warm water. But never use hot water – it can warp your dentures. Soak your dentures in a denture cleaner, if required. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Apply a denture cleaning paste to a moistened denture brush or a soft-bristled toothbrush. However, never use conventional toothpaste as this can permanently damage your dentures. Brush all surfaces thoroughly. Avoid using brushes with stiff bristles, as these bristles can damage the denture material.
Brush your gums, tongue and the roof of your mouth with a soft-bristled regular toothbrush to remove plaque and stimulate circulation. Rinse your dentures, then reinsert them.
We recommend you leave your dentures out at night, as this allows your gums to rest. Whilst you sleep at night, your dentures should be kept damp but not left in water. If you use a denture cleanser, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Please remember that if you use any kind of denture adhesive this needs to be removed daily. DO NOT use very hot water or any type of bleaching product to clean your dentures.
When adjusting to new dentures, some patients find their speech can alter slightly, whilst getting used to the new shape of their dentures (false teeth); this is only a short term inconvenience. We recommend reading aloud and to practice counting the numbers 65 up to 70 as these sounds can be the hardest to get used to.
It is also usual for denture wearers to produce more saliva, which can also affect speech, when getting used to a new set of dentures. This inconvenience is again short term, which will be resolved once your mouth becomes accustomed to the new dentures. We recommend sipping water more often or alternatively, try sucking on a sugar free boiled sweet or mint.
Generally it is considered best to remove dentures at night; this is to give your gums a chance to rest. It is especially ideal to leave your dentures out at night if you grind your teeth, as this causes more pressure against your gums. However, some patients are embarrassed about removing their dentures in front of their partner and therefore prefer to wear their dentures at night. If this is the case then we would recommend two things:
Firstly, please make sure you clean your dentures thoroughly before you go to sleep and when you wake up. Secondly, we would recommend that you remove your dentures for some period of the day if you can’t leave them out at night. At least once a day you should remove your teeth and brush your mouth and gums with a soft toothbrush. This stimulates circulation and maintains healthy tissue.
If you do remove your dentures at night, please remember to store them in a damp environment to stop them from drying out and warping. Please do not place your dentures in hot water, as this will damage them.
At The Grove Dental Care, our private dentures are made with a high impact denture acrylic (plastic), which means the dentures we make are less likely to break when they are dropped. However, no denture can be guaranteed against breakages. We therefore recommend you follow some simple steps to reduce the likelihood of damage occurring to your dentures. Dentures should be looked after carefully.
Your dentures (false teeth) are breakable, so always clean your dentures over a bowl of water or a folded towel in case you drop them. It is extremely important that your dentures are kept moist and are not allowed to dry out, this is to prevent them distorting. However, if your dentures become dry please soak them in a glass of clean fresh water before wearing your dentures again.
Some patients prefer not to wear their dentures at night. In this instance, please place your dentures in a box with a damp tissue or into your preferred denture soak. If you use a denture cleanser overnight, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use. Dentures should be rinsed and cleaned on a regular basis.
Yes, we try to match the existing teeth as closely as possible when making a new set of dentures.
We understand that having new dentures can be an anxious time and we understand that some patients are ‘dental phobic’. We have the facility to book longer appointments with our nervous dental patients so we can take breaks during your treatment. This allows you to take things at your own pace. We can then tailor the support we offer you and the appointments you have with us, to your individual needs.
There are two main groups of dentures: complete/full dentures and partial dentures. Complete or full dentures replace all of your natural teeth in either your upper or lower jaw. Partial dentures are used to replace some of your teeth in either your upper or lower jaw.
There are a number of different types of dentures, including metallic, flexible and plastic dentures; you can discuss the different types of denture with your dentist, as some types may be more suitable for your individual needs than others. Immediate dentures are used to replace the teeth immediately after they have been lost or extracted; they are replaced once the permanent set of dentures has been manufactured and the gum tissue has healed.